Depression as seen and Managed in a Sentinel Network of General/Family Practitioners

Abstract

A report by SASPREN Aim of the study: To determine the diagnostic criteria used and initial management followed by general practitioners in the diagnosis and management of depression. Study design and setting: A prospective descriptive survey by general practitioners of a Sentinel research network in South Africa. Methods: Thirty-five members of SASPREN, during a three month period in 1993, completed a questionnaire about each patient seen with the diagnosis of a depressive disorder. The questionnaire included socio-demographic details of the patient, the reason(s) for encounter (RIE), the diagnostic criteria used by the practitioner, the degree of functional impairment of the patient as well as details of the initial management regimen followed by the practitioner.